The Toronto Blue Jays tallied their 3rd victory of 2024 through a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. A familiar face in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finally showed why he’s looking forward to a bounce back season in 2024 after 2 of his 3 batted balls having exit velocities of over 110 MPH. Meanwhile, the currently-open bullpen and rotation spots found even more competition. Overall, it was a productive day for the Toronto Blue Jays as they continue the evaluation process.
Young Talents Show Out at TD Ballpark
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a great performance in game 10 of Blue Jays Spring Training. The former-MVP runner-up went 2-3 with a HR, 2 RBIs, and a run. Guerrero Jr. had the top two farthest hits in the contest, with marks of 438 FT and 394 FT. Vladdy took a 94 MPH fastball from pitcher Nick Nelson located down-and-in and turned on it, an encouraging sign after a lack of power in 2023. In 2023, the slugger put up his lowest mark in HardHit% since 2020, (49.2%), so seeing multiple 110+ MPH totals in exit velocity makes a return to form definitely plausible.
SP Wes Parsons had a solid day both mechanically and results-wise. Parsons allowed 2 hits and a walk over 1.2 IP while also tallying a strikeout. Both hits were singles that had exit velocities below 70 MPH, with one being an inconsequential bunt. In the first AB against slugger Kyle Schwarber, Parsons seemingly hurled a 95 MPH fastball that caught the outside corner in a 3-2 count, but he didn’t get the call. Schwarber would end up walking.
An encouraging sign for Parsons is that out of the 7 swings that Phillies hitters took at his four-seam fastball, none of them resulted in a ball in play (4 foul balls, 3 whiffs). This included plate appearances from 2-time MVP Bryce Harper, ex-Batting Champ Trea Turner, and 2x All-Star Nicholas Castellanos. The right-handed starter actually struck Castellanos out swinging on a well-located 95 MPH fastball off the outside corner. The four-seamer topped out at 96.3 MPH while averaging 94.8 MPH over his 1.2 IP, a 0.7 MPH increase from Parsons’ four-seam’s average velocity in 2023.
As Wes Parsons continues to see more action in Spring Training, it is a possibility that he plays himself into an SP7 role if he can edge out veteran Paolo Espino.
Brandon Eisert turned some heads in Toronto’s 8-4 loss to the Yankees on March 1st, as he totaled 7 swings-and-misses over only 1 frame. In today’s finish against Philadelphia, Eisert tallied 4 whiffs. The southpaw doesn’t have velocity that lights up the radar gun, as his four-seam fastball averages 90-91 MPH. However, his command is the main reason why he’s so successful.
In the final at-bat of the game, Eisert faced infielder Rodolfo Castro. The lefty started off Castro with a fastball high-and-in for a called strike. Eisert came back with 3 more fastballs, two of which resulted in foul balls for Castro. After four straight fastballs, Eisert went with his breaking stuff, changing Castro’s eye level and catching him looking at a backdoor slider. The reliever has definitely produced throughout Spring, perhaps setting him up for MLB action in 2024 if he continues performing.
Veteran’s Have Iffy Outings in Game 10
Eduardo Escobar has had a very disappointing Spring Training thus far. Game 10 was nothing different, as Escobar continued to swing-and-miss at any pitch thrown to him. The veteran infielder is 0-12 in Spring Training with a .077 OPS and 8 strikeouts. 4 swings-and-misses in only 3 at-bats is pitiful. Escobar has shown little success in Spring Training. For a player who was meant to round out the bench while also providing quality offensive innings in 2024, Escobar’s performance hasn’t even warranted a roster spot for the 2024 campaign.
RP Chad Green also struggled in Toronto’s Spring Training victory over the Phillies, giving up a 95 MPH average exit velocity over 0.2 IP. A relatively promising sign is that Green yielded 3 ground balls while striking out 2 batters. After a poor 28.1% GroundBall% in 2023, seeing the veteran reliever keep the ball on the ground rather than in the air gives many fans optimism. With Toronto picking up Chad Green’s 2-year club option, Green is set to make $21 million over the 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
A Long Road Lies Ahead
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. definitely headlined the Toronto Blue Jays victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. In addition, many other potential depth pieces also impressed, such as SP Wes Parsons and RP Brandon Eisert. In contrast, veteran Eduardo Escobar’s position on the roster is seemingly wavering after his Spring Training struggles. Either way, there is still a long way to go to see how the 26-man roster will be filled out.